Fire & Safety Services' William Russell is Retiring - For Real This Time…

By DAVID RUSSELLPresident

Fire & Safety Services

Story Number110718113

Disclaimer:
This article is a direct street report from our correspondent and has not been edited by the 1st Responder newsroom.

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Group photo of Fire & Safety Services employees.

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(L to R): Dave McAlice (VP-Sales Eastern Region), William Russell, and Jim Johnson (President of Pierce Manufacturing). Bill was 1 of 3 former dealer principals honored for their retirements, or upcoming retirements.

(Editor's Note: The following is a memo that was published to let the staff of Fire & Safety Services know that Bill was planning to retire.)

Over the course of the next several weeks, you may be seeing some activity in Bill’s office. After 36 years at Fire & Safety Services, and over 50 years in the industry, Bill had decided that it is time to make the semi-retired position a full time occupation. So, you will start seeing the years of history slowly being moved from his office.

After taking over the company in 1982, just months shy of his 41st birthday, Bill transformed the company from primarily a loose equipment dealer selling a handful of Pierces a year, to an organization that is New Jersey’s premier fire apparatus sales and service provider. He did this through his commitment to providing the customer quality products and service at a fair price, and bringing the best of the best people in the industry to join him in this quest. His knowledge is second to none, and is only exceeded by the integrity with which managed his business, in an industry that often seemed to not know what integrity meant.

Now as he nears the halfway mark of his 77th year, he has decided to see what this “retirement” thing is all about. I am sure he will still turn up some mornings to take part in the early A.M. coffee crew, or to stop by to see what is in the yard, so I doubt he will be a stranger.

Administratively, his sales support duties will be split among Bob and Dave. It is yet to be determined who will take on the pot-stirring duties – an announcement will be forthcoming on this responsibility.

No date has been officially set, other than “by the end of the year”, so there will be plenty of time to congratulate him on his change of responsibilities and reminisce about “old times.” So please feel free to wish him the best, and above all else, keep Pat Russell in your thoughts as they go through this transition!